SCRIPT Ma. Zarina A.

San Jose

CHARGEN: A SILIENT LANGUAGE GFX: BACKGROUND BILL SCREENCAP TEXT: REPUBLIC ACT 7277- MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS. QUOTE SECTION 22 MAGNA CARTA In recent years, sign language insets have appeared on Philippine television first during President Aquinos state of the nation address in 2010 and then during the impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona this year. Currently only TV 5 has sustained these insets in two of their daily programs, T3 and Aksyon News. ROLL VO: It is stated in the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities that television stations are encouraged to provide a sign language inset or subtitles in one news program or any other coverage of significant national events.

VIDEO CLIPS: SONA 2010 CORONA IMPEACHMENT

VIDEO CLIPS: T3 AKSYON NEWS CHARGEN: SOURCE YOUTUBE.COM

ROLL VIDEO SOT: Rey Alfred Lee, Liza Presnillo SOME OF THE DEAFS, FROM EXPERIENCE, WALA TALAGANG ALAM WHEN IT COMES TO NEWS, ISSUES ABOUT WHATS HAPPENING AROUND, HOW TO SAVE THEIR LIVES WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCIES. SO THEY THOUGHT OF PROPOSING A HOUSE BILL TO BE PUT IN NEWS PROGRAMS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHATS HAPPENING SA WEATHER, WHATS HAPPENING AROUND... (Translation: Some of the deaf persons, from experience, really have no knowledge when it comes to news, like whats happening around or how to save themselves in case of emergencies. They thought of proposing a house bill to put [sign insets] in news programs to help them understand whats being said.)

CHARGEN: REY ALFRED LEE PRESIDENT PHILIPPINE FEDERATION OF THE DEAF LIZA PRESNILLO BOARD MEMBER PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS

PHOTOS BAYAN MUNA AND DEAF PERSONS IN CONGRESS CHARGEN: PHOTOS FROM KRISTINE SABILLO

ROLL VO: Bayan Muna filed house bill 4-1-2-1 on February 2011.

GFX: BACKGROUND BILL SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTE SECTION 3 FROM BILL

It seeks to amend the magna carta for persons with disabilities to require all local television stations to provide a sign language inset or subtitles in at least two news programs. In a research by the Philippine Deaf Resource Center, the organization specifies the need for the protection of the deaf when it comes to justice.

GFX: BACKGROUND PAPER SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTE HUMAN RIGHTS PARAGRAPH FROM RESEARCH

GFX: PIE CHART

Their research states that of 213 cases with known data on interpreting, 11% have no interpreters. But for those with sign language interpreters, 44% are volunteer interpreters while only 24% are court-appointed interpreters. According to Dra. Liza Martinez, president of the PDRC, there is only one government ruling about a deaf individuals needs during judicial and investigative proceedings.

PHOTO LIZA MARTINEZ CHARGEN: LIZA MARTINEZ PRESIDENT PHILIPPINE DEAF RESOURCE CENTER CHARGEN: PHOTO FROM HTTP://WWW.DEAF-ENEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM

GFX: BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTE FROM MEMO

It is required by the Supreme Court Memorandum 59-2004 for any court to provide a sign language interpreter for a deaf individual involved in any proceeding. The expenses must also be paid by the trial court. In a succeeding circular in 2007, the Office of the Court Administrator added that if the interpreter will be coming from another province, then the court would have to pay for the additional expenses as well.

GFX: BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTE FROM CIRCULAR

GFX: BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTE FROM MEMO

For Dra. Martinez, there is a problem with how the memorandum is worded.

It necessitates the appointment of an interpreter when the deaf individual or party needs to be understood and does not consider his right to be made aware of the charges brought against him or other information related to his case, for example, the decision of the judge. House bill 4631 also filed by Bayan Muna last year enumerates rules in hiring interpreters, their qualifications and other guidelines to protect both the interpreter and the deaf individual.

VIDEO CLIP: TEDDY CASINO GFX: BACKGROUND BILL SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTES FROM BILL

VIDEO CLIP: REY ALFRED LEE

But in order to fully realize their participation in society, the deaf community has also been pushing for the recognition of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as their official medium of communication. Dra. Martinez believes that the passage of this bill will have a huge impact on certain policies, especially in education. The bill could get deaf teachers into the public school system. She said that while the community is working on improving the sign language skills of hearing teachers, one affirmative action is to get deaf individuals into the classroom. ACT Teachers Partylist filed House bill 6079 last year. It mandates the use of FSL in the education system, in courts, quasi judicial agencies and other tribunals, in all work places, in the public health system, in all other public transactions, services and facilities, and in broadcast media. House bill 4121 is currently pending in the committee on public information, while house bill 4631 is at the committee on justice and house bill 6079 with the committee on social services.

PHOTOS DEAF PERSONS CHARGEN: PHOTOS FROM HTTP://DEAF-ENEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM

VIDEO CLIP: ANTONIO TINIO

GFX: BACKGROUND BILL SCREENCAP TEXT: QUOTES FROM BILL

GFX: BACKGROUND HOUSE OF REPS TEXT: COMMITTEES

ROLL VIDEO SOT: LEE, PRESNILLO THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN SAYING OUR ACTIVITIES ARE PANGANGATOK PERO HINDI NAMIN MARAMDAMAN NA MERON NA SILANG GINAGAWA SILA PERO WERE CONTINUING SO MERON NAMANG MGA BENEFITS. SO WE ARE REALLY PUSHING THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY OUR ATTENTION TO OUR PLEAS. THEY REALLY SHOULD GIVE ATTENTION. THEY REALLY SHOULD BE AWARE. NGAYON HINDI PROACTIVE ANG GOVERNMENT. PARANG HINDI NAMAN NILA NAKIKITA YUNG NEED. ALTHOUGH IN REALITY LUMALAKI YUNG PANGANGAILANGAN NG COMMUNITY AT LUMALALIM PA ITO. LUMALAKI YUNG MGA PROBLEMA NAMIN NA KAILANGANG BIGYANG ATENSYON NG GOBERYERNO. (Translation: The government has been saying that our activities are a form of knocking on their doors. We still cannot feel their response but we continue to push the government to pay attention to our pleas. Right now the government is not very proactive. It seems as though they do not see the need to be. But in reality the needs and the problems of the deaf community are growing and the government really needs to start paying attention.) ROLL CREDITS